1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a phone holder which is mounted in a passenger compartment of a vehicle to enable use and holding of a mobile phone.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, as mobile phones become popular, various types of phone holders for use in e.g., a vehicle which enable use and holding of the mobile phone have been developed. One of such phone holders comprises a holder main body such as a base frame capable of holding a mobile phone, and a holder connector mounted on the holder main body or a vehicle body via a curl cord or its equivalent. A mobile phone is held by the phone holder in such a manner that it is connected to the holder connector when the mobile phone is positioned relative to the holder main body and held therein by an engaging means.
In the above phone holder, a connecting operation of the mobile phone with the holder connector and a positioning operation of the mobile phone relative to the holder main body are not feasible when a driver has to perform the above operations while driving. Further, while driving, a holding state of the mobile phone set in the phone holder is unstable due to a shaking of the vehicle and the like. Accordingly, it is possible that the phone may be disconnected from the holder connector or may come out of the holder main body.
To eliminate the above problems, there has been proposed a phone holder in which a holder main body is formed with a hollow portion with a phone insertion opening to insert and eject a mobile phone, and a holder connector is provided in the holder main body to be connectable with a phone connector of the mobile phone in a state that the mobile phone is inserted in the holder main body. However, there are various shapes and sizes of mobile phones on the market, and hence, it is not always the case that the phone connector is smoothly connected with the holder connector. Accordingly, there has been a great demand for phone holders which can hold various types of mobile phones provided with phone connectors at different positions.
Further, even if the arrangement position of the phone connector substantially coincides with the holder connector, there exist two types of mobile phones: one is such that a phone connector has a tapered portion oriented upward (see FIG. 48A, this type of mobile phone is hereafter referred to as an "upward oriented mobile phone" or "type A") when placing the mobile phone with its side of numerical key facing upward; and the other is such that a phone connector has a tapered portion oriented downward when placing the mobile phone with its side of numerical key facing upward (see FIG. 48B, this type of mobile phone is hereafter referred to as a "downward oriented mobile phone" or "type B").
In the phone holder of the prior art, even if the phone holder can hold a mobile phone of one type, the same phone holder cannot hold a mobile phone of the other type. In other words, the conventional phone holder is adaptable only for one type of mobile phones (either upward oriented mobile phones or downward oriented mobile phones).
For example, referring to FIGS. 48A and 48B, if the phone holder is designed in such a manner that a holder connector thereof can be connected with a phone connector TC of the mobile phone of the type A, this holder connector cannot be connected with a phone connector TC of the mobile phone of the type B, or vice versa.
In other words, a common phone holder is not applicable for these two types of mobile phones. Accordingly, two types of phone holders respectively designed for holding the type A mobile phone and the type B mobile phone must be separately produced. This becomes a hindrance against mass production and improvement of usability.